Translation and Summary is by Kizyr. The translation and summary may not be posted or used anywhere without permission.

Chapter 1 - The Girl who Flies

The wind was calm and refreshing, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the Blue Star shone brightly on the land below. In the fields, two girls were picking apples.

Lena: Ellie! Above you! No no, not there, more to the right!Ellie: Where, Lena? I can't see from here.

At the base of the ladder was Lena, a short but very vocal girl. At the top, picking the apples, was Ellie, a taller red-haired girl. Lena directed Ellie on which apples to pick. But, as she reached further and further away, she lost her footing on the ladder, and...

Ellie: Whoa!-crash-Lena: Ellie! Are you ok?Ellie: No, I'm not ok. You need to be clearer when you tell me where to go...Lena: Oh, sorry... But hey, it's only a scratch. Let me heal you.

Lena raised her hands over Ellie, and a light shined between her hands and Ellie's back end. Shen the light died down, Ellie stood up again, feeling much better. Lena was the only one in the village who could use healing magic--in fact, she was the only one in the village who could use any kind of useful magic.

Just then, the girls heard footsteps. An old man approached them, clearly impressed by the display of magic ability.

Man: You come from a small family, young lady, yet you have a promising future ahead of you if you can use such magic already.Lena: Small! I'm still only twelve years old! And I eat as much as any adult! What do you mean I'm small?!Ellie: Um, Lena...Man: Oh ho ho... Please excuse me. I don't mean to make you feel ill at ease. But have you ever considered applying yourself to studying magic? You already have a talent for healing magic; that kind of magic is difficult even for adults to master.

Lena was only twelve, but she was still rather short for her age. So, she tended to be very sensitive towards any comments (perceived or otherwise) about her height. So, the man changed the subject back to Lena's apparent healing talents. Lena responded that she's been able to ues healing magic ever since she was a small child.

Since visitors rarely came to their village, the girls completely forgot about an introduction until now. So, the old man introduced himself as Glen; he explained that he was journeying through frontier towns and villages, sightseeing. The girls introduced themselves as well.

[Editor's note: This is frontier, with a lowercase F. The word is the same, but there's no inclination in the text that Glen means Frontier as a separate region, like in Lunar: The Silver Star. Instead, they use frontier as a synonym for rural or being removed from the larger cities.]

Glen asked Ellie if she, too, could use magic like her friend. This was a question Ellie really disliked hearing, since the two of them were usually together and the comparison so often came up. Ellie shook her head and responded that she couldn't; Lena was the only one in the village who really could. Glen apologized for making her feel uncomfortable in any way.

At that moment, one of the villagers came running through the field.

"It's a monster! A monster is attacking! Quick, back to the village!"

Once Glen heard this, he ran in the opposite direction--away from the village, and towards the direction of the monster. Lena ran after him, worried about his safety--and Ellie followed suit, worried about Lena.

After a brief while, the two of them lost sight of Glen in the forest. It was then that the monster found them. The monster was a giant caterpillar in one of the trees overhead; once it sighted the two girls, it began to crawl down towards them. The girls tried to get away, but before they could, the giant caterpillar unleashed a yellow gas. It caught Lena, and she slumped to the ground. Ellie picked up a rock, threw it at the caterpillar to distract it, and picked up Lena and made her escape. But the monster was unfazed. Before Ellie could go anywhere, it unleashed another attack of poisonous gas on Ellie.

Ellie: If only... if only I could use magic...

- - -

Glen got in between the fleeing villagers and giant caterpillars in pursuit.

Glen: Hora! Hora! Hora!

The tip of Glen's staff glowed as his magic drove the caterpillars back. He stopped to help some of the villagers on the ground--those who had breathed in some of the poisonous gas. While doing so, he remarked how surprising it was that this village had no magic barrier, no protection against monsters to keep it safe. That was unusual--though perhaps it was because this really was just a frontier town.

"Help!"

Glen heard Ellie's voice in the distance. None of the other villagers heard it, apparently, and they seemed to be all right for now. So Glen ran to the source of the voice while the other villagers looked on.

- - -

Ellie had climbed one of the trees for safety, still holding onto the unconscious Lena. She was struggling to remain conscious herself, after having inhaled a bit of the poisonous gas earlier. But since she was bigger than Lena, she wasn't out yet. She refused to give in.

Two monsters approached her on nearby branches, closing in. They opened their mouths so wide that Ellie could see the purple color of their tongues inside. Before they could attack again, Ellie lost her balance and fell from the tree.

- - -

Glen: Hoi! Hoi! Hoi!

Glen arrived just in time. Blasts shot from his staff, hitting the monsters and driving them away. He looked up to see Ellie, barely awake and holding on to Lena. But, Ellie was between the branches and the ground--she was floating in the air, as if suspended by a thread.

Glen: A girl who can fly...

This was the first time Glen saw this kind of magic, magic that would allow a person to float in the air like this.

Ellie fell to the ground. As Glen helped the two of them, Ellie's parents came in running, seeing if she was all right. Glen reassured her that the girls would be fine--they would need about three days rest, but otherwise they were still well.

- - -

Back at the village, everyone gathered near the statue of Althena in the center of town. Glen distributed some healing herbs for some of those who were still sick from the monster attacks, and used his magic to revive some of the others, including Ellie and Lena. The girls woke up to see everyone and their parents surrounding them.

Glen: Can anyone tell me who is the leader of this village?Elder I am...Glen: Is this village often attacked like this?Elder: Yes. We're sometimes attacked by monsters. Today we made it, thanks to your help. So, well, if you're looking for payment, I'm sure that we can manage somehow...Glen: Oh that won't be necessary. But, why is it this village has no protection against monsters? Aren't there any magicians here?

The village elder lamented that their village was a very humble one, and didn't have anyone who could use magic well enough to construct a barrier against monsters, and it didn't have the money to pay someone to do so. But, Glen said that there are people all over Lunar who can use magic; it shouldn't be too difficult to find someone. What's more, there are already people in this village who could use magic.

Glen: Lena. She can use healing magic.Elder: Lena?Glen: Yes. And, one cannot use healing magic without having a lot of magic power already within. It's very rare to find someone, especially a child, who can use that kind of magic without formal training.Elder: Ah...Glen: And, Ellie can as well.Elder: Ellie?

Glen described how Ellie was floating in the air when Glen found them in the forest. She definitely had magic power within her--it was unfocused, but definitely there, and strong. Her magic is what allowed her to fly.

All eyes were on Ellie now. But, she didn't remember a thing. So Glen asked her to close her eyes and concentrate. He tried to take her back to the time when she needed to escape the monsters attacking them. Ellie focused her mind and her energy, first feeling it in her arms, then legs, then all over. She slowly lifted off the ground and hovered in the air for a few moments before falling back down. The rest of the villagers were amazed; this was the first that any of them had seen it. Glen told her that, with enough practice, she would eventually be able to fly without even having to concentrate.

Elder: But, what does healing magic and flying have to do with protecting our village against monster attacks?Glen: Oh ho ho, those are just the powers they were born with. But it's evidence of stronger magic that lies within. If they would apply themselves, they could learn all sorts of magic--for example, the magic of purification. Purification magic allows one to seal magic within an object, such as a stone or tree, thereby creating a barrier that protects against monsters.

The Elder and other villagers still looked uncertain. Glen decided he'd need to provide a little demonstration. He looked around and set his sight on the statue of Althena.

Glen: Sole!

Light emanated from his staff towards the statue, and the statue was aglow with light. After it died down, Glen continued.

Glen: This statue has been imbued with magic of purification. Now, weak monsters will not be able to approach the village because of this statue's power.Elder: Is that true?Glen: Of course. But, this sort of magic weakens over time. When that happens, a magician will need to come by and restore it.Elder: I don't know how to repay you...Glen: There's no need. Those of us who are able have an obligation to help others.Elder: Thank you very much...Glen: That's all for now.Elder: Hm?Glen: I'd like to know, would Ellie and Lena like to study at the Magic School? I think it's time I told you my true purpose: I am a scout for the Magic School, and I've come to this village to find people with magic potential.Elder: The Magic School?Glen: If this village had strong magicians in it, there would be no need to hire people from outside. Also, if they knew some attack spells, then they could even defend the village from stronger monsters that the barrier might not protect against.

The Elder did like this idea. But Glen stressed that this was about more than just protecting the village; it was about Ellie and Lena realizing their potential. Ultimately, this was a decision that the girls would need to make for themselves. Glen added that, since the girls already had latent power within them, they would be able to go to the school for free. That included room and board, and food.

Lena: I want to go!

Lena jumped at the mention of free food. Her parents were a bit embarrassed by her brashness and chastised her over it, but ultimately they didn't seem opposed to the idea. And Lena was still as eager to go as ever.

Ellie on the other hand looked like she wanted to go. But, the expression on her mother's face told a different story. Ellie avoided saying anything at all.

Glen told the girls that he would be there for another day. He asked that they think it over for the night, and they could tell him their decision the next morning.

- - -

Ellie's father was a fisherman. That evening, Ellie and her mother returned home from working in the fields, and Ellie's father returned from fishing. Ellie told her father part of the good news: that she could use magic. Ellie's father was pleased and congratulated her.

Father: So, what kind of magic can you use?Ellie: I can fly.

Ellie closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to recreate what she did when Glen guided her the first time. Slowly, she felt the power coursing through her hands, arms, legs, and feet. She lifted up off the ground again, and came back down.

Ellie's father was pleased at this. Her mother, though, still had the same worried expression from earlier.

Mother: Let's go inside and get dinner started.

- - -

While they ate, Ellie recounted the events of that day for her father. She concluded by telling him about Glen and the offer to go to the Magic School with Lena. Her father understood, and agreed with Glen that it would be great if the village had some magicians in it. But, the final decision lay with Ellie. Her father asked her directly what she wanted to do.

Ellie: I... want to go. I want to study magic, and perhaps protect the village. I've always just assumed I couldn't use magic, but now that I know I can, I like the thought of being able to help others and protect the rest of the villagers. That's why I really, really want to go and study magic.

Ellie's voice was soft at first, but steadily grew in confidence. Yet her mother's expression was still worried, and Ellie noticed this.

Ellie: Mother, what's wrong? Should I go?Mother: I can't let you. I can't let you go to the Magic School...

It was a shock. Why was her mother so reluctant to let her go? What was she afraid of?

Ellie: Am I not your real daughter?

Ellie's mother went wide-eyed. Ellie wasn't thinking when she said that, but now it was too late to take it back. She continued... telling her mother that she'd always had a feeling something was amiss, and wasn't really sure what it was until now...

[Translator's note: The text is a bit ambiguous as to why Ellie thought she was adopted. It's probably a combination of her newfound magic ability, and the fact that her mother was sad instead of happy for her.]

Ellie's father embraced her. It was true; Ellie was their adoptive daughter. He apologized for keeping this fact hidden for so long, but they still loved her, and nothing would change that. Ellie's mother embraced them too, and in her tears, all the misunderstanding between them faded away. Ellie resolved to go to the Magic School and become a great magician, and then return to the village to imrpove things for everyone.

Ellie left the house to go and tell Glen. As soon as she opened the door, Lena was there.

Lena: Sorry, Ellie. I overheard.Ellie: Ok.

Ellie said nothing more on the matter. The two of them went together to talk to Glen.

Lena: We'll go to the Magic School together, and together we'll become great magicians!Ellie: Ok!

Chapter 2 - The Mysterious Island of Ien

Lena and Ellie had come to the port where Ien was supposed to "arrive". That was all Glen had told them about how to get to Ien, so they didn't know the specifics; this made the two of them rather uneasy. At the port, there was a plaza where several other students about their same age were gathered. At the far end was a drawbridge that didn't appear to lead anywhere.

Lena couldn't wait to reach Ien already and finally get something to eat. Meanwhile, Ellie noticed some boys yelling in front of the bridge; the two of them headed in that direction.

Ant: Hey, what do you think you're doing! Lower the bridge already! We want in!Rick: Bro and us are going to the Magic School!Kule: Let us inside!

There was a fourth boy there, who didn't seem to be with the other three.

Wing: Um, there isn't any use in getting upset.Ant: What was that!?Wing: Um, hello, my name is Wing.Ant: I didn't ask for your name!Wing: Oh, excuse me.

Wing explained that there was magic emanating from the bridge. Since it was powered by magic, it couldn't be raised or lowered by normal means. He acted a bit surprised that Ant couldn't sense the magic here. This just made Ant even more upset--he didn't like being made to look like a fool. So, Ant and his friends started to pick on Wing, when someone else intervened.

Senia: That's shameful! Picking on someone weaker like that!

It was a beastwoman, the same age as the other kids there. The boys turned their attention towards the newcomer.

Ant: What's it to you? And what's the deal with those tattoos on your forehead?Senia: Hrmph! In my tribe, these are the marks that are a sign of adulthood!Ant, Rick, & Kule: Tribe!? Backwoods, man!

Senia ignored why she initially intervened, ignored Wing, and went straight for the three boys.

Ant told Rick and Kule to take care of this. It was two-on-one for a moment, but Senia was a fast and capable girl--she quickly knocked the two boys back and embarrassed them enough to have Ant intervene. Now, it was three on one. Lena and Ellie intervened in the fight and backed up Senia. After all, if the fight was three-on-one, the people in the "three" group have to be the bad guys. Meanwhile, Wing stood back, dumbfounded at how an argument that started out with him progressed into this three-on-three fight.

Rick and Kule went for Ellie and Lena. Senia cast a spell that surrounded her in lightning, and went straight for Ant while his friends were distracted. She shocked Ant, and the lightning spread to his two friends, knocking all three of them out.

Now that things were calm again, the three girls introduced themselves to one another.

Senia: I'm Senia. Thanks for the help.Lena: I'm Lena.Ellie: And I'm Ellie. Wow Senia, you're strong.Senia: You guys were pretty good, too.Wing: Um... My name is Wing...Lena: Who are you?Senia: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. This is the kid those boys were picking on earlier.

Lena was put off by Wing's passive demeanor. While the four of them were talking, the drawbridge began to move. On the other end, there was now a landmass. The bridge extended across, connecting the two. So, the kids began to gather near the bridge. Ant and his friends finally recovered and, seeing that everyone was moving off in one direction, hurried over to cross the bridge.

- - -

After the bridge had fully lowered, a man crossed over to greet the students.

Steel: Welcome to the Magic School. I am Dean Steel. I extend to you students my congratulations.

Dean Steel explained that he would be guiding them to the school, and instructed the students to cross the bridge. After he made sure that everyone had crossed--Ant, Rick, and Kule were among the last, as was Wing--he raised the bridge and led the students away. Wing ran up to try and be nearer to Lena and the other girls.

Steel: Now then, I will first take you to the dormitories. You will be able to rest from your journey there. Tomorrow, more will be explained at the Magic School's opening ceremony.

As Steel guided them along the paved path towards the school, he explained a little bit about the island of Ien.

Steel: There are some monsters in the forests here that are used as practice opponents. Due to some special magic, they will not come out of the forest. But if you enter the forests, then they will attack. So please exercise caution. ... You could say that this entire island is the campus of the Magic School.Ellie: Island? Ien is an island?Lena: Ellie, didn't you know? The Magic School of Ien, it's also known as a Walking School.Ellie:Walking School? What's that?Senia: Lena, you don't know either, do you?Wing: Ien is an island with mysterious power, and it uses that power to float on top of the sea. One day every year, it docks with the port back there, and admits new students.

Lena hadn't noticed Wing there until now. But still, he was telling them more than Glen had let them know about Ien.

The students finally arrived at the dormitories. Around them were many other buildings, some classrooms, and many houses. It looked like a lot of people who weren't even students or faculty lived on Ien as well.

Steel: Now, students, this is where you will be living. All students reside in these dormitories.

From out of the building came a young, female professor with short blue hair.

Steel: This is Professor Emma; she looks after the welfare of all the students here. I leave you in her care for now.Emma: Hello students. I am Emma. I am here to help you as you get used to life here at the Magic School. If there is anything you wish to know, them please feel free to ask me.

Ant raised his hand enthusiastically.

Ant: Yeah! Professor Emma! I have a question!Emma: Yes? You are?Ant: My name is Ant! I wanted to know, are you single?-The children all laughed.-Lena: What are you doing asking a question like that?

Professor Emma said nothing, just shrugging her shoulders and smiling. She was used to these kind of questions.

Ant: Shut up, shorty! Professor Emma said that if we had anything we wanted to know, to ask her. So I did!Lena: What did you just say? I thought I heard you call me short.Ant: What, shorty, you didn't hear? I said shorty. It's 'cause you're a shorty. I call a shorty a shorty when I see one, shorty!Ellie: Oh, this isn't good. Senia, Wing, you might want to cover your ears.Lena: Ok, now listen here! I'm not short, got it? I'm the same age as anyone else, I'm just growing at a slower pace. And I don't weigh that much, either. So eventually I'll catch up. That's why it's not right to call me short! I eat as much as anyone; I'm just a little slow in growing! That's all! That's why I'm not short! You got it!?

Somewhere in the middle there, everyone quit listening to Lena and just moved on. Everyone had already started going into the dorms to rest.

- - -

The individual dorm rooms were large enough for two people to be living in each one. Boys and girls, of course, were on different floors. Lena and Ellie were going to be living in the same room. It was a bit strange; even though thwere were best friends, since they'd always lived next door to one another, they'd never had to sleep in the same room before. As they were unpacking, they heard a knock at the door.

Lena: Wing? What is it?Wing: Um, well... I...Lena: What kind of a man are you? Be a little more confident!Wing: I'm sorry.Lena: Don't apologize!Wing: Yes! Sorry!Lena: All right, all right. What did you want?Wing: Well, actually I'm in the same room as Ant. And Rick and Kule both came in, so the room's too crowded for me to be in there right now.

Ellie and Lena were just thinking about going around Ien to explore a bit. They asked Wing if he'd like to join them--he gave an emphatic 'yes' to that, particularly at the thought of being able to be around Lena some more. So, the three of them left the room.

- - -

The girls invited Senia along, and the four of them left the dorm building, heading for the drawbridge where they first arrived. When they reached it, they saw the bridge raised, and nothing but ocean in front of them. The port they embarked from was off in the distance and growing smaller. Ien really was floating on top of the sea.

Wing was the expert, so he tried to explain a bit of how Ien was doing this. But he confessed that he didn't fully understand it himself.

Wing: It's not ordinary power. It's hard to say exactly what it is...Lena: Well then don't waste our time!Ellie: Lena! Just be quiet and listen!Wing: Well... Um, sorry...Lena: Stop apologizing! Just say it already!Wing: Yes, well. When we crossed the bridge onto Ien, we were moved by that magic power. It's sort of like the power that you and I already, but it's much stronger, and the source of it is somewhere deep within Ien.

Wing also added that there was a magic barrier that protected the island. Ellie and Lena said that was one of the reasons they came to the Magic School, so they could protect their hometown in much the same way. Wing said that it wasn't too difficult, and they would probably learn how to do so pretty soon.

About this time, Ant and his friends decided to show up again. They barreled through, saying something about getting to the forest to find the treasure. When they'd passed, Lena suggested that they follow. Sure, it could be dangerous, and sure, they could get attacked by monsters. But, Ant and the boys were already on the way there, and she was curious... ...if that thing they said about treasure was true, also, it could be a little bonus. She managed to convince the others, and they reluctantly followed.

- - -

It was still close to noon, but the forest was dark.

Rick: Bro, is there really treasure here?Ant: Of course! It's like the Dean said, there are monsters in the forest. And those monsters are protecting the treasure!Kule: Of course, Ant knows what he's doing!Rick: What if we get attacked?Ant: All the monsters in here are for training. They'll be no match for us!
...Rick: Bro, where's the treasure?Ant: It's in the forest!Rick: But, we're already in the forest!Ant: Monsters are guarding it, so it's deeper in the forest! Man...

Some of the leaves rustled. The boys screamed and panicked, grabbing onto one another.

Lena: What's this? The three of you are holding onto each other? Well well...

Lena emerged from the trees. Behind her was Ellie, Senia, and Wing. Embarrassed, the boys let go of one another, Ant yelled a few more things, and they ran off deeper into the forest. They ran off too quickly for the girls to follow, and they were getting tired by now.

Ellie decided to go up to have a little look. So, she asked the others to wait there. She looked up, concentrated, and started floating up towards the tops of the trees, eventually breaking through the canopy and floating higher above the ground. Senia and Wing were clearly impressed.

High up, Ellie couldn't see anything through the trees. The forest was too thick to see where Ant and his friends ran off to. But then, she saw the three of them finally emerge from the forest, running out one of the exits. She descended back to the ground and told the others; so, they decided to return home already.

- - -

Emma: What are you all doing here?Ant: Professor Emma!

The boys ran right into Emma on their escape from the forest.

Rick: We were looking for treasure.Emma: But, there isn't any treasure in this forest.Ant: What! But, the Dean said that there were monsters in this forest.Emma: There aren't any monsters in this forest. During training, you would need to go to the forest in the center of the island. That is where the monsters are.

Some more rustling. Lena, Ellie, Senia, and Wing emerged from the forest.

Emma asked if they, too, were out looking for treasure. The boys wanted nothing to do with this, and so they ran off before being questioned--or embarrassed--any further. The girls said they were just sightseeing, and saw Ant and the boys running in earlier. In any case, the time for that was now over. Emma asked that they come back with her to the dorms; it was almost time for dinner.

Lena perked up at the mention of food, and she forgot all about the earlier events of the day. The sun had begun to set, and the Blue Star shone brightly overhead, as the five of them returned to the dorms.

Chapter 3 - Cosmetic Magic

Steel: You are all dismissed.

With that, the opening ceremony of the Magic School of Ien was over. The students dispersed.

Earlier, Dean Steel had explained that students who entered Ien typically studied as an apprentice under one of the professors. This was the first time that the girls had heard of this, but Wing seemed to already know about it. Most had already found a professor for an apprenticeship; but Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing hadn't been so fortunate. The four of them stood in front of the School Tower, deciding what to do.

Wing: Lena, and Ellie, did you really not know anything about Ien before you came here?Lena: Nope. Is that bad?Wing: It's not bad, but...Lena: But what?Wing: ...it's nothing.Lena: Just say it already!Wing: I'm sorryLena: You're a man, you shouldn't be so quick to bow your head and apologize!Wing: Y... yes, sorry.Lena: You're doing it again!

Lena and Wing had been having this same conversation since they first met the previous day. Always, Lena would try to get Wing to be a little more forthright and less passive, and Wing would keep apologizing, starting the cycle over again. Senia leaned over to Ellie and whispered...

Eventually, they got back to the subject of finding a professor again. So they set off in search of one. On the way, they talked a bit about why they first came to Ien. Wing mentioned the entrance examination he had to take; the entrance exam for Ien was known for its difficulty. He even had to get a private tutor to teach him magic so he could pass it. Of course, he was surprised when he heard that not Senia, Lena, nor Ellie had even heard of the entrance exam.

Ellie: Senia, how did you get into the Magic School?Senia: Me? I've always wanted to be stronger. So one day, this strange old man came to our village, and said that if I came to the Magic School, I could get stronger.Ellie: We were also told by Glen to come to the docks, so we could go to Ien...Wing: The three of you were scouted out? Wow! I'd heard that there were people who were scouted out and invited to the school, but I didn't think I'd really run into any of them...

Until now, Ellie was under the impression that everyone else heard about Ien the same way she had. Now she knew that they were unique cases. As the four of them continued, Lena asked Wing if there was anything in particular he wanted to study.

Wing: I wanted to learn cosmetic magic.Lena: Cosmetics? You're a boy, and you're interested in makeup?Wing: N... no, no, not makeup like what women use. I mean cosmetic magic.

Wing explaiend that cosmetic magic used the application of pigments and color to the face and body to channel magic power. In fact, one of the foremost experts in the field was Prof Dadis, one of the professors here at Ien. Wing even had his book, "An Illustrated Guide to the Primary Colors of Cosmetics". Ellie, Lena, and Senia didn't really have any preference, and based on Wing's description, cosmetic magic seemed like a good idea. So, the four of them decided to head for Prof Dadis's classroom.

- - -

When they arrived, the entrance to the classroom had two masks, one on each of the front doors. They looked a bit weird, so Lena poked around a little.

Right Mask: Who's there!?All: Ahh!!

Lena pushed Wing up to the front to figure out what to do about the masks. After a little more investigation...

Left Mask Who's there!?All: Ahh!!

After their hearts had stopped a second time, the door opened.

Dadis: Who's there!?All: Ahh!!

The four of them jumped back a third time. In front of them stood Prof Dadis, a tall old man dressed in robes and a colorful hat. Hesitantly, Wing introduced himself, followed by Lena, Ellie, and Senia. Wing said they came here asking to study as apprentices--he even had his book! Anyway, upon hearing this, Prof Dadis smiled; he hadn't noticed the new year had already begun--that explained why he found three students out here earlier. He opened the door a little wider and inside were none other than Ant, Rick, and Kule. Dadis explained the three of them got scared by the masks on his front door and fainted, so he brought them inside so they could recover.

The girls, plus Wing, entered the classroom. Lena went over and cast some magic to revive the boys--something that Dadis was very impressed at, as advanced as healing magic was. Ant wasn't the grateful sort, although Lena wasn't too gracious either. After trading a few insults, and after Lena joking that the only reason the boys were here was because Prof Emma wasn't taking any new students--

Rick: How did she know, bro?Ant: Rick, shut up!

Anyway, Lena really didn't like the thought of having to study under the same professor as the three boys. But Prof Dadis was pretty excited at the thought of gaining seven new students in one day--the last few years he's been so consumed with his research that he hasn't had time to teach at all. All his students tend to do now is look after his storeroom and gather up materials for his experiments.

Lena decided to ask the professor about the masks on the front door. Dadis said that he's the one who created them, and imbued them with his voice. It's all through the use of cosmetic magic. The girls realize that cosmetic magic can do some pretty impressive things. Though, admittedly, Prof Dadis's scatterbrained nature is making Lena question whether or not he's really famous as Wing alleges.

Before they could begin, Prof Dadis asked for each of them to show him their magical talents. He aleady saw Lena's healing ability, so he moved onto Ant, Rick, Kule, Wing, Lena, and Senia. Senia showcased some of her lightning magic, which was very impressive. And Ellie, she focused her thoughts, closed her eyes, and floated up off the gruond. Everyone was impressed--even Lena, Senia, and Wing, who had seen the same thing the previous day in the forest.

Finally, Wing demonstrated that he was capable of a much wider variety of spells, including much of the cosmetic magic that Prof Dadis had written about. So good was his mastery over magic that Dadis decided to let Wing teach the basics of cosmetic magic to the others. That way, Dadis himself could continue his research. The other boys definitely didn't like this idea, and the girls were hesitant to just be learning from another student. But, there wasn't much of a choice...

- - -

Several days passed. Each morning, the girls plus Wing would walk from the dorm to Dadis's classroom. Prof Dadis would then stay in his laboratory doing research while Wing basically taught the other students magic. One day, they were supposed to go over healing magic, so Lena decided to take on the task of teaching that. This made Ant and his friends even more unhappy, as would be expected. According to Ant, healing magic was useless; they would just defeat monsters and other things so quickly that they wouldn't have time to counterattack, and so there would be no need to heal themselves. Never mind the fact that they were scared in the forest, or they fainted at the sight of two simple masks. Besides, healing magic was difficu;t.

Crash!

The door flew open. Prof Dadis ran out excitedly--which was the first time he'd ever emerged from his lab in the middle of the day.

Dadis: Who are you!?Wing: What!!! Professor, we're your students...Dadis: What students... Oh! That's right. You're my students. ... So, if you are my students, then I need you to get some materials for me. Go to the forest northeast of town! In lieu of an entrance examination, just bring to me spores from a Death Shroom.

Upon saying that, Prof Dadis retreated back into his laboratory. Ellie and the others were left dumbfounded: did the Professor really forget about them? He did say 'in lieu of an entrance examination'... perhaps he did forget that they were already his students. Anyway, Ant and his friends weren't going to let Lena and the others get the better of them, so they ran out almost immediately for the forest. The girls, plus Wing, followed.

- - -

On their way through the forest, Wing explained that Death Shrooms were like giant, dangerous mushrooms. When they opened their cap, they let off an electrical discharge. But, that was also the only chance to retrieve their spores. Wing's never actually seen one in person, though; he only knows about them through his Monster Encyclopedia.

They hadn't progressed that far through the forest until they caught up with Ant and his friends, lying on the ground unconscious. Lena went ahead and revived them, and took the opportunity to remind them of what they said earlier about how healing magic was unnecessary. Ant, Rick, and Kule got back up and ran away, upset.

Wing: Whoa!

Wing just spotted one, maybe two, giant mushrooms up ahead. These were the Death Shrooms, the same ones that probably just took out Ant and his friends. Senia wasted no time firing off a bolt of lightning at it.

Wing: Senia, don't! Lightning doesn't work against Death Shrooms!Senia: What?Wing: Lightning will heal it!Senia: You should've told me that earlier!Wing: Watch out! It's opening up!Senia: Wh... what do we do?Wing: Once it opens up, then after it discharges electricity, we'll have to attack it to grab the spores it drops.Ellie: Everyone! Leave this to me!

The mushroom opened up. Lightning and electricity crackled around it. Ellie tried to fly forward and grab some of the spores, but she wasn't quick enough and was thrown back by the discharge. The mushroom closed its cap again. Wing then took his turn: he extended his arms out to the side, and just as the mushroom was about to open up again, he fired off several beams of light at the monster. The mushroom shook violently, and a yellow-white cloud of spores dropped down from its cap. Senia then ran forward and piled the spores into their bag, as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Lena healed Ellie from when she was thrown back earlier.

Senia stood back up, took two steps towards the party, and collapsed on the ground.

Lena: Senia!Wing: Lena, wait! She must have breathed in some of the spores. If you get close, then you'll also fall unsconcious.Lena: Why didn't you say that earlier?Wing: I'm sorry, I forgot...

They waited as the mushroom retreated, and the wind blew away the spores around Senia. Lena then revived Senia, and they continued back to Prof Dadis's classroom, mission accomplished.

- - -

The girls knocked on the door of Prof Dadis's laboratory. He opened the door.

Dadis: Who are you?Lena: We're your students, remember!?Dadis: Oh, that's right. So, why are you here? I'm busy with my research on new cosmetics.Senia: Death Shroom spores, here.-Senia offered the bag with the spores they retrieved in the forest.-Dadis: Oh, this is just what I wanted. You are very good students.

Dadis took the bag and retreated back into his laboratory. Lena was irritated how he'd forgotten completely about sending them into the forest in the first place. But, Ellie was smiling: she enjoyed being able to fight alongside Lena, Senia, and Wing, together as a team.

Lena: Huh?Ellie: It really turned out good, didn't it?Wing: Yes, we all worked together to get those spores.Senia: That's rightLena: But, Prof Dadis is still weird!-Lena was upset, but the other three continued to laugh.-Lena: What's so funny! You all are weird, too!

Chapter 4 - Skull Island

Fog enveloped the mountain. Where the fog covered the ground, no plants grew and no animals ventured. It was a fog of death, motionless. Into the fog went two people, the Vile Tribe: a sorceress named Barua and a man named Memphis.

Barua: Memphis, is the legendary Dark Castle D really sealed in here?Memphis: Yes. The legendary Dark Castle D was integrated with this thing, and was sealed inside. Look closely at this island. It may have sealed in the castle itself, but its power still seeps out through the fog.
...Barua With the Dark Castle D, we could rule all of Lunar.Memphis: But, we need the power to revive it first.Barua: Just leave that to me. I am the puppetmaster Barua, after all.

Barua and Memphis both laughed. The fog of Skull Island started to move, but it didn't lift from the mountain.

- - -

Lena: Professor Emma! It's time for breakfast!

Lena ran down to the cafeteria. She'd slept in this morning, so everyone else had already eaten. Emma handed her a tray with her breakfast, Lena thanked her, and immediately dug in.

Lena said good morning to Ellie, Senia, and Wing in between mouthfuls of food. Wing looked back with hearts in his eyes. He seemed to like everything about Lena, Ellie pointed out... As soon as Lena finished, she held up her plate and asked for seconds.

Emma: I'm sorry. That's all there is.Lena: What! There's no more!?Emma: The ship that delivers food hasn't yet arrived. We have to ration out what we have left.Lena: Then, we can't have any more to eat!?Emma: Unless the ship arrives, then I'm afraid so.Lena: What! That's awful! Quick, we have to go to the docks!

Lena got up and ran out. Ellie, Senia, and Wing followed. They should stop by Prof Dadis's classroom first and let him know where they were going. But, Ellie knew that trying to stop Lena when food was involved was pointless. So, they had no choice but to follow her all the way to the docks.

- - -

Whenever the regular ferry arrived, the docks were full of merchants and cargo. But now it was empty. When the kids arrived, all Lena could do was complain about the lack of food. Then, Ellie looked out into the bay and saw a fog, a white fog condensed around one spot on the water. And it was moving. Was the fog moving towards Ien, or was Ien moving towards the fog?

Once the fog reached Ien (or the other way around), there was a violent crash. For a moment, Lena forgot about food as the fog began to envelop the whole island. In the break of the fog, they saw a mountain--but, Ien has no mountains on it. Lena decided that whatever was in this fog, it was the cause of the ferry not arriving, and hence, her food not arriving. So, she resolutely set off into the fog.

Wing: Wait, Lena! Hold on!Ellie: You'll get lost in this fog!Senia: Well, looks like we have to follow her.

Wing, Ellie, and Senia all disappeared into the fog, after Lena.

- - -

Inside the fog, they could barely see their hands in front of their faces. After stumbling forward, they nearly ran right into a wall of timber. Feeling around, it was apparent that it was the side of a ship--but a ship that had run aground. They found a rope ladder strung over the side. Thinking only of finding the source of the interruption of their food service, Lena started up the rope ladder. The rest of them followed.

When they arrived on the deck of the ship, it was expectedly empty. Through the fog they could find three masts and no one on board. When suddenly...

-scratch scratch scratch-

Through the fog appeared walking bones. Skeletons. Three or four of them surrounded the kids, drawing closer.

Senia: Heh, I'm not scared. Just remmeber what we learned in class!

Senia extended her arms and fired off a ball of lightning at one skeleton. The lightning crackled and sparked as it struck the skeletons, and they broke appart, scattering on the deck.

Senia: Hah! Who's next!?

Wing then tried to fire off a beam of light, but his magic didn't work in this fog. Ellie and Lena narrowly dodged another attack. It was apparent that they wouldn't get rid of the remaining skeletons so easily, so Ellie came up with an idea: Ellie would launch Senia while she prepared a lightning attack to spread over a wider area.

Senia: All right, Ellie. Let's go!

Ellie grabbed ahold of Senia and flew high above the ship. She then turned back and sped downwards towards the deck. Senia's entire body was covered in electrical energy, enveloping the two of them, as they crashed down in an explosion on the deck, right in the midst of the remaining skeletons. When the dust settled, Ellie and Lena slowly got back up, but the skeletons didn't.

Before they had time to celebrate, they heard another sound. Something else was there!

Senia: What!Lena: These guys again!Ellie: Ant...?

Ant, Rick, and Kule were lying on the deck of the ship, unsconscious... again. Lena revived them. It looked like they were out treasure hunting and got themselves into another dangerous situation.

Kule: We saw this island covered in fog, and thought 'there's got to be a treasure in there!'Ant: This kind of island is dangerous! So the treasure here must be really awesome!

Whatever was going on, treasure or no, the girls and Wing decided that they'd better head back to town, and back to the dorms. Lena figured that if they couldn't find any food, then at least they could get some of Prof Emma's cookies to tide them over. But the fog was still so thick that they couldn't easily find the way back. Lena picked a direction, then, and the rest just followed.

- - -

Ellie suddenly stopped. Something else appeared in the fog, a man this time, before quickly disappearing again. He didn't seem normal, but vacant and confused.

Wing: It looked like cleansing magic, maybe? He had the same look as monsters do when they're being controlled by something else.Senia: I wonder if cleansing magic would work on us, too...

They tried to follow the man who'd just appeared, to figure out what was going on. Before they could advance much further, they were attacked again--this time, by shades. Shadows cast on the ground around them stood up and surrounded the kids, ready to attack. Senia tried another lightning attack, but it did nothing. Same with Ellie and Lena's first shots. Then, Wing tried another spell--one of cleansing magic--and it stunned the shades. He called out to the girls that the shades were weak against cleansing magic, and so they followed suit and used the cleansing magic spells they'd learned.

Not too long after they'd defeated the shades, the figure of a woman appeared in the fog. This time, it wasn't someone who was being controlled--it was Barua. She floated up above the deck as she looked down at the kids.

Barua: You're trying to take away the people I've captured. But it won't work. Now I'll just have to kill you!Senia: Who are you!?Barua: I am Barua, the puppetmaster.Senia: Vile Tribe!Barua: Hm, I'm surprised the beastmen still remember how to speak...Senia: Shut up!

Senia shot lightning at Barua, who simply turned to one side and laughed as her cloak absorbed the attack. So Ellie flew up directly at her. Barua nearly jumped back: flying was no ordinary skill, and this was the first time she'd seen an ordinary human able to master it so easily--a human girl, no less. Even more, she sensed an incredbile amount of power coming from her and her friends. She became irate, but instead of fighting back, she disappeared from view. There was another explosion and Ellie fell back down.

- - -

Memphis: What happened, Barua? Are you finished already?

Barua was supposed to have gone out and brought more people into the Dark Castle D, so that the castle could consume their power. Barua lamented that there were some kids who were... unexpected. Fortunately, Memphis said there was still enough power to move the castle itself, and that would do for now.

- - -

Back on the deck of the ship, Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing were lying on the floor, still hurt and barely able to move. Also on the deck were several other people, mostly shiphands and merchants who were supposed to have been on the ferry heading towards Ien. Lena pulled herself up and started healing the people on deck.

Then, the fog lifted. Everyone could see clearly the mountain that was concealed by the fog before, just as it crumbled apart.

"What is that!?"
"It's a castle! A giant castle!"
"What's it doing here!?"

It was the legendary Dark Castle D. It looked almost like a living creature. On top of the castle was another person. The leader of the shiphands who were just revived ordered everyone to get off the deck, and back onto their ship. They helped the kids up so they could escape.

Chapter 5 - Mermaid Island

Senia, Ellie, and Wing were talking over breakfast. The island of Ien was due to approach Meria, the island of the merfolk. Lena came downstairs just in time to hear the news. Prof Emma wasn't there; she'd gone to the School Tower for a faculty meeting, but breakfast was still there.

Ellie: Maybe you should get up earlierLena: I'm tired, I have to get my rest. I used up all my power healing all the people on that food ship.Senia: What are you talking about? That was over ten days ago!

Anyway, Lena munched on her breakfast while the rest of them continued. Since Wing had a reputation of knowing everything, the girls turned to him for an explanation of what "merfolk" were (after Ellie pre-emptively asked Lena to be quiet so he could actually finish his explanation): merfolk looked like humans, but they had fins on their back and were able to swim through the watter. They lived in the town of Meria, on an island like Ien, except the island was on a coral reef, and the town itself was entirely made of coral. On the whole of Lunar, Meria was the only place where merfolk lived.

Ien, Wing continued, traveled all across the ocean, but it still returned to a set course throughout the year. Meria was on that course, so it was a scheduled stop at about the same time each year.

The girls were all fascinated by this. So, they decided collectively to go and visit Meria, and maybe meet some merfolk. But first, they had to go to Prof Dadis's office to make sure they could take the time off.

- - -

Dadis: Who is it!

Dadis stuck his head out of his office when the girls arrived. He looked over his students' faces for a while...

Wing looked excited. This was the first time they were going to try out something new. Dadis led them to a side table, where many ingredients were already laid out. He needed a volunteer to apply the makeup on, and so picked out Senia.

After applying the makeup in a careful and intricate pattern across her face, he stepped back and asked her to try one of her regular lightning spells. So, she raised her hands, and cast her basic spark spell.

"Spark!"BOOM!

There was a loud explosion. Ellie and Lena were thrown back, all the way to the front door.

Dadis: Ah, that definitely worked. But, the power release is too strong; it needs some refinement.

Dadis grabbed his hat, which fell off in the blast, and went back into his office. After the girls and Wing made sure everyone was ok, Dadis stuck his head back out of his office.

Dadis: Also, we're about to arrive at Meria. Please go to Meria and retrieve some purple coral. I used the last of my supply with this experiment.

Well, now the problem of asking for some time off to visit the island of the merfolk was taken care of.

- - -

Meria was a town surrounded by and built on a coral reef. They couldn't cross over on a bridge like when they first went to Ien. Instead, they had to go to the docks and get a small boat. On the way there, Wing pointed out that he felt a slight, gentle magical presence, just like the barrier around Ien. They soon arrived at the island itself and landed the boat.

- - -

The entire town of Meria was built of coral, just as they'd heard. All the buildings were white and pink, with canals of water running throughout the town.

Ellie: Now, let's find that purple coral-Everyone looked at Wing.-Wing: Th.. this time, I don't know either. I haven't even heard of purple coral until now.

It looked like they had no choice but to ask around the town. As they approached, however, they heard a voice from behind them. They turned around to see a young girl, just about the same age as Ellie and Lena. She wore a dress and had pink hair pulled back with a hairband.

Shiela: Are you people from Ien?
...Shiela: My name is Shiela. I have an interest in how humans live. Can I talk with you?Senia: Are you a merfolk? I've been wanting to meet one of you guys!

Senia was really happy to see a merfolk for herself. The rest of them thought the same thing, so none of them had any objection to talking with her for a while.

Lena: Huh? You don't have any fins on your back?Shiela: When we're on land, our fins fold up.

So, the girls all got to talking. Senia told Shiela all about their adventures, right up to what recently happened at Skull Island. Shiela was fascinated; she admitted she's never even been outside the boundaries of the barrier reef that surrounds Meria.

Lena: Why's that?Shiela: Outside the reef, there are a lot of fishmen, so it's dangerous.Lena: Fishmen?Shiela: They're monsters who live in the sea. They attack us merfolk. But, they won't come within the barrier reef thanks to the Merfolk Talisman.Wing: That's the charm that creates the barrier around Meria?Shiela: I don't know about that...Wing: Hm... It feels like the same kind of power that's generated by Ien's barrier.

[Translator's Note: The word used for Shiela and the people of Meria is 'ningyo', meaning merfolk. The word used for the monsters Shiela describes is, literally, 'merman'. I substituted that with 'fishmen' in order to avoid confusion.]

Ellie remembered a while back when they first talked to Senia like this. Across Lunar, there were many different kinds of people who all had their own unique culture and way of life. Since Senia was a beastwoman, Ellie was interested in how she lived, just like Senia was interested in how Shiela lived.

It was just then that Ellie remembered why they came here: the purple coral. She asked Shiela about it.

Shiela: There's lots of purple coral near the western border of the barrier reef.

Shiela even offered to go and retrieve it for them. They went back to the water, and her fins extended from her back. She dived into the water and swam through it in an instant. They barely had time to blink before her head popped back up above the water and she waved her hand, holding purple coral in her hand. The girls were impressed; they couldn't even run over the land as fast as she swam through the sea.

It was then that she screamed.

Lena: She's being attacked!Senia: We have to help her!Lena: But we can't swim out that far!Senia: Ellie, if you carry me, do you think you can fly out that far?Ellie: Yes!Senia: Ok, then, let's go!Lena: No, wait. Senia, your lightning magic will end up carrying through the water and hurt Shiela, too. Wing, you go with Ellie.Wing: What!?Lena: You're a man, aren't you? Now's the time to be brave!Wing: O... ok. I'll do it!Ellie: Good. Let's go!

Ellie picked up Wing and flew out over the sea, straight towards Shiela. Wing prepared a magic spell and targeted the fishmen encircling Shiela. He unleashed the spell, and it knocked back two of the the monsters; the third one swam away. Shiela was grateful, but before they had time to celebrate, Ellie lost her grip and concentration, and both her and Wing fell into the water.

-splash!-

- - -

Ellie and Wing held onto Shiela as she swam back to the island. They got back on land; Shiela gave them the purple coral and thanked Ellie and Wing for their help. But, it was odd: the fishmen shouldn't have been able to get beyond the barrier. How did they come close enough to attack her?

And then, they saw more fishmen approaching the island--and climbing up on land!

Senia: Leave this one to me!

Senia fired off two lightning attacks, knocking down two of the approaching fishmen. But, more kept coming up on land. So, Ellie stepped forward and kneeled. The ground around her and in front of the fishmen turned red, and burst into flame. It was a good idea: since fishmen were creatures of the sea, they should be weak to fire. Except... one of the fishmen opened his mouth, and a gush of water spewed forth to extinguish the flames.

Wing pointed out that he could no longer feel the barrier around Meria. The fishmen coming up on land must mean something was wrong with the Merfolk's Talisman. He asked Shiela, and she told him the talisman itself was stored in the tower at the center of town. There was no use fighting the fishmen, and the fishmen were much slower on land than in the sea, so all of them ran away, towards the tower.

- - -

When they arrived, they saw the entire town was full of fishmen. The merfolk living in town had fled away from town or into their homes. Shiela guided them straight to the tower, while the rest of them kept a lookout to prevent any fishmen from sneaking up on them. The only problem now was that there didn't seem to be an entrance.

Shiela dove into the moat surrounding the tower. Moments later, she appeared at a window several feet above ground level. The entrance was underwater, but since a few of them couldn't swim, Ellie took Lena, Senia, and Wing up one by one straight to the window.

Once inside, Shiela told them the Merfolk's Talisman was on the top floor. They headed up, but even the tower was full of fishmen. Fortunately, since the stairway was narrow, they only had to defeat one at a time to progress up to the top of the tower. But on the way there, they saw three figures lying on the ground, unconscious...

Lena: Huh? ... It's Ant!

Sure enough, it was Ant, Rick, and Kule yet again. Lena muttered to herself and revived them. To no surprise, they were out treasure-hunting again, and made their way into this tower, hoping to score some more treasure. They managed to nab something in the process: a jewel they found at the top of the tower!

Shiela: That jewel!-Senia grabbed it from Ant.-Ant: Hey, give that back! I'm the one who found it!Shiela: Wrong! This is our magic talisman!

Shiela now saw why the fishmen were able to invade Meria. Lena asked, then, why they were unsconscious yet again. Ant just muttered something about a giant monster that appeared after they swiped the jewel, then ran away before Lena could get any angrier. Ellie stopped her from following: they would have time to deal with Ant later, but for now they had to go up and return the talisman to its rightful place. The five of them continued up the staircase to the top floor.

When they arrived, the altar from where the Merfolk's Talisman was stolen was right there. And so was another fishman... a giant fishman, three times the size of an ordinary one. The girls told Shiela to get back and stay safe.

The monster first went after Senia, stricking her across the room. Lena ran to her side to hearl her. Senia then suggested that they do the same thing they did last time, at Skull Island. But, back then they flew straight up in the air and back down again. This time, they were in a small, enclosed space and didn't have that kind of room. So, Ellie would have to pick Senia up and fly straight at the monster, throwing her at the last second. It was risky, but they had to try.

Wing and Lena attacked the monster from the side to provide a distraction. Ellie then picked up Senia and flew directly across the room towards it, releasing Senia just near the end.

Senia: Senia Spark!

Senia's body was engulfed in electricity as she slammed into the giant fishman. The creature was knocked back. As Senia and Ellie regrouped, they noticed that the attack had an effect, but the creature was still up. Senia suggested that they try again; it looked weakened, and another attack like that might be all they need. So, Wing provided another distraction, Ellie picked up Senia, they flew towards the fishman, and Ellie released her again.

Senia: Senia Spark!

With another crackle of electricity, Senia slammed into the fishman, finally defeating him. Success!

Lena: Are you all right?Senia: Yeah, I'm ok.Lena: Say, what was that anyway? You yelled 'Senia Spark'?Senia: Hah, yeah! That's what I thought I'd call that move.Lena: It sounds lame.Senia: Shut up!

Shiela cautiously came out of her place of hiding, once the coast was clear. She put the jewel back in the altar, and Wing said he felt the barrier around Meria go back up again. Shiela was in tears, and thanked all of them for their help in making her town safe once again. From behind them, they heard another voice...

Glen: Oh ho ho... You girls never cease to amaze me.

Glen! He didn't really explain why he was there ("I'm like a phantom, really"). But, he was there to inform the girls that Ien would be departing Meria soon, so they should hasten their return back to the school. Before they left, Senia apologized for the trouble Ant caused, and said that she'd make sure they didn't get away with it.

Shiela: Do you think we'll meet again?Senia: Of course! The next time Ien comes to Meria, we'll definitely see each other then.

With that, they all laughed and said their good-byes.

- - -

Memphis: The merfolk have the jewel of the Blue Dragon. If we use the power in that, we can fully revive the Dark Castle.-A face appeared in the pillar before Memphis.-Memphis: Hm hm hm... D... Just you wait. Soon, the Dark Castle will achieve its final form.Barua: Wonderful. If we restore the legendary Dark Castle, then then world will be ours. Ah ha ha ha ha!

With that, the Dark Castle made its way towards Meria.

Chapter 6 - Vile Tribe Invasion

The kids were back on Ien, at Glen's cabin. They still didn't believe Glen's explanation (or lack thereof) for why he was suddenly at Meria, but he didn't shed any light on that. Now that they were all safe once again, they'd best be getting back to their studies at the Magic School. So, they returned to Dadis's classroom.

- - -

Prof Dadis was surprisingly out of his office again, waiting in the main room. This time, they would try another modification of the cosmetic magic he tried earlier on Senia. He needed another volunteer, so Ellie stepped up.

Dadis: Um, well, this cosmetic magic needs... it needs to be applied over... the whole bodyEllie: Huh?Dadis: Well, unless you remove your clothes, then the cosmetics can't be applied correctlyEllie: Ah, I understand!

And with that, Ellie began to take off her clothes, starting with her blouse, then her boots, and finally her skirt. She only seemed concerned with the thought of being able to fly faster. Lena tried to protest, Senia looked away, and Wing blushed--before being scolded (harshly) by Lena. Prof Dadis was just in momentary shock.

Ellie asked Prof Dadis to begin. He regained his senses, and started applying the makeup. It wasn't long until Ellie began to laugh uncontrollably--she was ticklish, and couldn't help it. Dadis tried to get her to calm down to make sure the makeup wasn't applied incorrectly.

After more concentration, it was finally done. Ellie was covered entirely in intricate designs. Prof Dadis informed her that the magic effects would remain with her even when the makeup had faded away, so she could put her clothes back on already. Now, it was time for a test, so they went outside (remembering how... powerful Senia's earlier test turned out).

Once outside, Ellie concentrated and took off flying again--only this time, she rocketed away at lightning-fast speed. She was so fast that the girls on the ground couldn't even see where she went. Prof Dadis was pleased--this meant his new cosmetic magic was a success! Eventually, they heard a loud whoosh of wind, and saw Ellie falling back to the ground right in front of them!

Lena rushed over to heal her. When she recovered, the last thing she remembered was flying so fast that she lost her breath and, subsequently, lost consciousness.

Dadis: I see, I see... Well, tomorrow you should go to the inventor Kent's laboratory. Kent has been researching flying machines, and he may be able to help you.

- - -

The next day, after Ellie had recovered, the girls and Wing went to visit Prof Kent.

Ellie: HelloKent: If you're customers, please go through the shop entranceEllie: We're not customers.Kent: Oh? If you're students, then you're just in time!Ellie: Professor Kent? My name is Ellie. I have a favor to ask...Kent: Ellie? Oh, I've heard about you, the flying girl! I've been waiting for the chance to finally meet you. It's good that you've come. Please, step inside. Hm? Oh, you're alerady inside. Hah! Well, please come to the back.

Kent explained his excitement: there was no record of humans ever being able to fly through the air like Ellie can. Until now, they were only aware of members of the Vile Tribe who had that ability--Lena recalled that Barua was able to do just that, when they encountered her before. Wing added in what he knew from his studies.

Wing: According to the books I've read, the Vile Tribe's talents are: brutality, powerful magic, an inability to use healing magic, and the ability to fly.

In any case, Ellie explained why they'd come: earlier, they tried out a new magic technique that allowed her to fly faster, but she flew so fast that she couldn't catch her breath. But Kent had just the thing! He retreated to the back, and came back with a bracelet and asked Ellie to wear it on her left wrist. He then asked her to press a button on top of the bracelet. As soon as she did so, a large shield folded out in front of her, almost as large as Ellie herself.

Lena: How did you get such a large shield into that small an object?-Kent looked a bit irritated.-Kent: The technique that let me put a large object into a small package is a type of construction magic, invented by Richter. What I made was the shield itself. It's a flying shield.

Kent went on to explain that the shield would create a protective barrier while she flew, allowing her to fly at any speed comfortably and without fear of losing her breath. To try this out, they all went outside and Ellie took off again. She flew off faster than anyone could see, just as before, and they couldn't tell where she'd gone until they saw a rustle in one of the forests outside town, a few trees falling, birds flying out, and Ellie flying straight up from the canopy. They could hear the sound she made rushing through the air from that distance. Ellie circled back and returned to where Kent and the others were waiting.

- - -

Ellie was overjoyed when she returned. Lena was a little concerned, though.

Lena: Are you ok? Are you hurt?Ellie: Why would I be hurt?Lena: You fell in the forest, didn't you? We saw a lot of trees fall. Are you sure you're all right?Ellie: I'm ok, really!
...Lena: But, your cape is torn.

What Kent said about the protective barrier held true, but, the cape must have been flying up and outside the barrier--hence why it got torn. But no matter, as Kent had just the thing for this, too! He went back inside and handed Ellie a new set of clothes--a more aerodynamic set that would be better suited for flying.

With that, it was time for them to be getting back to Prof Dadis's classroom.

- - -

That day went by well. They'd learned more powerful cosmetic magic from the technique Prof Dadis developed, and now they had a chance to practice it. But before they could get much done, something strange appeared on the horizon: a large castle, and it was heading this way.

It was the Dark Castle D, returning to Ien.

- - -

Barua: Is the power of the Blue Dragon really on this puny little island?Memphis: It is. Do you not feel the same power as was on the island of the merfolk? The power that D consumed? It's an even stronger power, here. There is no doubt that the Blue Dragon's power is right here, on Ien.

As Memphis explained, D still needed to grow stronger, and for that he needed more power--power which was available on Ien. So, Memphis turned the conquest of Ien over to Barua to take care of. Meanwhile, Memphis himself summoned several demons to him.

Memphis: Now go! Find the power of the Blue Dragon!

- - -

The floating Dark Castle D approached the island of Ien. As it neared, countless creatures flew out from the castle: Lesser Demons! Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing prepared to fight back. As the monsters swooped down to attack, Senia launched her lightning attacks, taking one or two of them down. But, it was apparent that only a few were attacking the kids; most of them were headed straight for the town.

The town of Ien was much how Ellie expected. The Lesser Demons were attacking buildings, and the people there had no choice but to escape. Ellie, protected by the barrier of her new shield, started flying at the demons. But she was quickly stopped and sent hurtling into the ground. When she looked up, there was Memphis, floating in the air above her.

Memphis: So... you're the foolish kid that Barua told me about.Ellie: What's that supposed to mean?-Memphis ignored the question.-Memphis: Hm, Barua was impatient. You're a half-breed, are you not?Ellie: Half-breed?Memphis: Hm, you dno't know. You have blood of the Vile Tribe in you...Ellie: What!?Memphis: Flight is an ability of the Vile Tribe. It's not something that mere humans can do.Ellie: Liar!Memphis: You don't want to believe it? When ask yourself, who else besides you can fly? Look around you, at my demons who heed my commands, flying all around. The only one who could come up here to face me was you. That is all the proof I need. Vile Tribe blood flows within you, half-breed.

Ellie couldn't take any more of this. She yelled at Memphis to be quiet and rushed at him. But Memphis was far too quick, and quickly knocked Ellie back to the ground, unconscious.

- - -

When Ellie regained consciousness, she was back in Glen's cabin. The first thing she heard was Lena's voice chastising her for taking on the demons alone. Thanks to Kent's shield barrier, she wasn't badly hurt, but she still needed to recover. Yet, Ellie kept playing through her mind the word 'half-breed', and what Memphis had said.

In the meantime, Glen filled them in on what had just happened. The Dark Castle D had been restored, and it apparently stole power from the Jewel of the Blue Dragon from Meria--since Meria was a town protected by the Blue Dragon, it housed the jewel of the Blue Dragon in addition to the Merfolk's Talisman. That would mean that the Vile Tribe already attacked Meria--when Lena and Senia understood this, they both hoped that Shiela and the others there were all right.

Now, the Dark Castle was aiming for Ien's power. But Ien's power wasn't based on a jewel--it was directly drawn from the power of the Blue Dragon, for the Blue Dragon resided on this very island.

On Lunar, there were four dragons: the White Dragon, Red Dragon, Black Dragon, and the Blue Dragon. It is on those Four Dragons that the entire world of Lunar is protected and sustained. So, the Blue Dragon alone is incredibly powerful. This meant that, in order to protect Ien and its people, Glen would have to take action... With that, he left without explaining anything further.

- - -

Glen arrived at the resting place of the Blue Dragon. The dragon slowly got up from its slumber, its voice booming.

Blue Dragon: Our agreement is finished. I will now be leaving Ien.

Glen implored the Blue Dragon to reconsider. He explained the situation: how the Dark Castle D was here, how the Vile Tribe was attacking, and how Ien was in danger. The Blue Dragon then understood his needs, and could not refuse Glen's request for aid. A blue light filled the lair.

- - -

Memphis was growing impatient. His demons reported back to him empty-handed, unable to find the source of the Blue Dragon's power on Ien. Frustrated, he finally declared that he would simply kill every inhabitant of Ien, and the Dark Castle D would consume the entire island, if they couldn't find what they were looking for.

It was then that a blue light pierced the sky. The giant form of the Blue Dragon appeared above them. It opened its mouth and breathed out blue flame towards the Dark Castle. The flame wrapped around the barrier, eating away at it until the barrier was dissolved. Once that happened, the Dark Castle began to lose power and tilted to one side, looking as if it would soon fall to the ground.

Memphis retreated into the central tower of the Dark Castle. Within it, he suppored the Dark Castle himself, feeding his power directly into the floating structure. He faced the Blue Dragon and raised his hands. Black light shot from the tower, enveloping the Blue Dragon and halting its attack. Soon, the Blue Dragon's wings quit moving, and it fell down, right onto the castle.

Memphis: Hm hm hm... ha ha ha... Now I've got you!

Chapter 7 - Final Battle! The Dark Castle

The Blue Dragon was encased in crystal, sealed inside by Memphis. The crystal slowly turned from blue to black, as the dragon tried in vain to free itself.

Memphis: I feel it. I feel the power of the Blue Dragon. The strongest power of all is now in my hands. Hm hm hm... ha ha ha ha!

Further away, in the shadows, stood Barua watching.

Barua: Such a nuisance... Now, it would be far too difficult to kill Memphis and take the Dark Castle for myself... Well, there's no choice. I'll have to wait and see how things turn out. My chance will come soon enough...

- - -

Back at Glen's cabin, the girls and Wing were waiting. All Ellie could think about was what Memphis had said earlier. He could be lying; it's not above the Vile Tribe to lie. But what about what Prof Kent had said? Flight was a trait of the Vile Tribe, and no human had ever been able to fly before. If Memphis was lying, and she was human, then there should be other humans who can also fly; but if there weren't, then Memphis was likely telling the truth.

She was a half-breed Vile Tribe. There was no other explanation. But, what would happen if her friends found out?

Lena interjected. She noticed Ellie hadn't said a word, and was just staring off into space. Before she had a chance to ask what Ellie was thinking about, Wing shouted from the window: he could see the Blue Dragon from there. The rest of them rushed over to the window to watch; they saw the dragon attacking the Dark Castle D, the crossfire of blue and black flame, and finally, the dragon falling towards the castle.

The door opened.

Glen: What we were most afraid of has just happened. The legendary Dark Castle has captured the Blue Dragon, and is now using its power. It will only grow stronger. If this continues, then the entire world will be destroyed.

Glen decided that he owed the kids an explanation. The Blue Dragon was on Ien because of an agreement between the dragon and Glen. Glen would grant the Blue Dragon a place where he could rest in peace and quiet, and, in return, the Blue Dragon would protect the island of Ien when necessary. Ien itself draws on the power of the Blue Dragon; it's because of the dragon that the island itself is able to float around the world. If the Blue Dragon is gone, then the Magic School of Ien would be finished.

Lena and Senia decided that they couldn't just stand by while that happened. They would do whatever it took to protect Ien. But Wing was hesitant.

Wing: But what could we possibly do?Lena: It's not about what you can do! You're a man, aren't you? Are you just going to stand by while the Magic School is destroyed?Wing: I... well...Lena: You worked hard to get into this school, right? So act like Ien actually means something to you!Wing: But, not even the Blue Dragon could defeat the Vile Tribe. How can we defeat them?Glen: No, you kids have the talent to do anything. I've seen that. I'm sure you're capable of this task. And, I'll be going with you.

The kids were receptive to Glen's encouragement. So it was decided: they would go to the Dark Castle to stop the Vile Tribe and save Ien and the Blue Dragon. But first, said Glen, Lena, Senia, and Wing should stop by Prof Dadis's class so that he could help boost their magic, just like he helped with Ellie's.

Lena: How do you know about that magic-boosting makeup?Glen: Ho ho ho, I know many things!

Lena, Senia, and Wing left the cabin. Ellie waited behind, quietly. Glen could tell something was on her mind.

Glen: What is it, Ellie? Did the Vile Tribe say something to you?Ellie: How... how did you know that?Glen: I just said I know many things, didn't I?Ellie: I... I'm a half-breed. The reason I can fly is because I have Vile Tribe blood in me. That's what Memphis said. And now... I don't know what to do.Glen: So you don't want to be with your friends?Ellie: No, that's not it! I like them. I want to be with them!Glen: Then that's what you should do.Ellie: But, if they found out who I am, then they might hate me.Glen: What do you mean they might hate you? Ellie, these are your friends. You must have faith in them. If they knew, they would understand. Don't you think?Ellie: ......

Ellie didn't respond. Glen sighed.

- - -

Prof Dadis was, unsurprisingly, still in his office, despite the Vile Tribe all around the island. Lena immediately burst into his office, getting straight to the point: they needed to use his cosmetic magic technique to boost their power. After taking care of that, they got up to leave. As they were leaving, however, Wing pointed in the direction of the coast: the Dark Castle was there, and they could see the figure of someone or something falling from it towards the coast. The three of them went straight to the coast to investigate.

Senia: Shiela! What's she doing here?Lena: She's ok... she's still breathing. But my magic isn't enough to revive her. We need to take her to Glen's cabin.Senia: Right.Lena: Hey, Wing! Come over here and carry Shiela, would you?

Shiela: Senia? What am I doing here?Senia: We should be asking you that. We found you on the coast of Ien.Shiela: Meria, it was attacked by a giant castle. Everyone's power was stolen. The elder told me to take this and escape to Ien. The other two are in the hands of those monsters.

Shiela produced a blue jewel, one that was housed in the tower at Meria. Glen and Wing recognized this as the Blue Dragon Jewel. Unfortunately, this meant that the the Merfolk's Talisman was in the hands of the Dark Castle. Shiela was obviously worn out from the escape; Senia told her to rest and recover here--they would take care of the Dark Castle and the Vile Tribe for her.

Ellie: The reason I can fly, it's because I'm part Vile Tribe. I'm a half-breed. And so, I can't be with you any longer.

Silence. Lena and Ellie's eyes met. Lena took a step towards Ellie and lay her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Lena: Ellie, that's what was troubling you? What does it matter if you have Vile Tribe blood in you? Ellie, you're still Ellie. Nothing will change that.Senia: Yeah, look at me. I'm a beastwoman. I'm not the same as a human, but you all still treat me just the same. So what's it matter if you have some Vile Tribe blood in you? Why does that mean you can't be with us?Glen: See, just as I said!

Now that this was all behind them and out in the open, Ellie was much more relieved. It was time to get going. Senia had something for her: the outfit that Prof Kent designed. They'd left it behind in their escape from town earlier, and so Senia made sure to pick it up on their way back from Dadis's classroom. It would definitely help, considering Ellie's clothes as they were right now were all torn up from the fight that day.

Ellie: Thank you, Senia.-Ellie began taking off her clothes to change there.-Lena: W... wait a minute, Ellie! Not again! Wing, look the other way!Glen: Ho ho ho...Lena: Old man, you too!

When Ellie finished changing, they turned around again. Between her new streamlined clothes and bracelet with the flying shield, she was ready to take on the Vile Tribe--with the help of her friends, of course.

Now it was time for action. There was a brief rumbling and the ground underneath them started to shake.

Glen: Ok, we've arrived!

Outside the cabin, they could see the walls of the Dark Castle only a few feet away.

Glen: The island my cabin is on can fly through the air.

Apparently Glen has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Shiela would stay inside to recover, where it would be safe. Meanwhile, Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing would need to go to the top of the main tower of the castle. Glen would return his cabin's island to rejoin the island of Ien--he would be along to join them shortly thereafter.

With that, the kids entered through a window in the wall as Glen went back. The inside of the castle was dark and scary; they kept talking with one another, encouraging each other and making occasional jokes to keep their spirits up. When finally...

Barua: Well well, look what rats have come out of the darkness...Wing: L... leave here, Vile Tribe!Barua: My name is Mistress Barua. Get that straight.Ellie: Where is the Blue Dragon!?

Barua laughed at the prospect of four kids coming there to save the Blue Dragon. Her laughter then turned to a direct glare, and before any of them could prepare to fight...

Wing: Ah!Lena: I... I can't move!Senia: Damn...

Wing, Senia, and Lena were all frozen in place. But Ellie was still able to move.

Barua: Ho ho ho ho ho! I suppose I'll have to deal with you myself, half-breed. You're no match for me without the help of your friends.

Ellie knew Barua was right. But, she believed in her friends, she believed they would still be able to back her up. Just then, Senia let off a lightning attack--and hit Ellie! She fell to one knee, surprised.

Barua: Hm hm hm. They're not attacking you just because I have them under my control. Deep down, your so-called friends are afraid of you because you're a half-breed.

Ellie hit her bracelet and was surrounded by the shield's magic barrier. Wing threw a knife of light, and Lena threw a lance of ice at her; both reflected harmlessly off the shield. Ellie tried to get them to snap out of it, but to no avail. She turned back to Barua and threw a fireball towards her--but Barua reflected it off her cloak and it hit Lena instead. It looked like there was nothing Ellie could do, until a blast tore through one of the walls and three people ran into the chamber through the puff of smoke and debris.

Behind the three boys was Glen. When he returned to Ien, he picked up a few reinforcements--it turns out the boys aren't as worthless as they once thought. In any case, Ellie and her friends needed to get up to the top of the tower. So, Ant and his friends would hold off Barua so that the rest of them could continue.

Before Barua had a chance to turn her attention towards Glen, he disappeared and reappeared behind Lena, Senia, and Wing. In no time he broke the spell over them, and they fell to the ground. Ellie rushed over.

Lena: What? What just happened?Wing: Oh, we must have been under Barua's spell...Senia: Right... Ellie, I'm so sorry!

Glen interjected that there was no time for apologies now. They needed to continue up the tower. Ant would cover their escape.

- - -

At the top of the tower was Memphis, bathed in the power of the Blue Dragon. Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing burst into the chamber, demanding that he release the dragon. Memphis was unfazed; there was no way a mere half-breed could take him on--especially when he already had dragon power at his disposal.

Memphis raised his arms and the walls of the tower started crumbling in. Debris and wreckage rained down on Ellie and her friends. They were able to deflect the shots, and so Memphis waved his hand again and scattered the four of them to opposite corners of the room. Before he could deliver another blow, Glen came running into the chamber.

Memphis: Hm, you're just one more insect to crush. You stand no chance against me.

But Glen's target wasn't Memphis; it was the Blue Dragon. He held up the Blue Dragon Jewel and flung it at the crystal encasing the Blue Dragon itself. The crystal turned from black to blue again. Cracks formed in its surface as the dragon within came to life, before the crystal shattered entirely.

Memphis: Hmph, it's too late to free the dragon. I have already taken its power.

But Glen contested: true power lay with the students, not Memphis, because Ellie and her friends believed in one another. And now, they would show how strong that power was.

Memphis laughed at the thought. He launched another magic attack at Glen, a beam of light; but Glen threw up a barrier quick enough to stop it. The beam continued to hammer against the barrier, as Glen dug in his heels and concentrated.

It was in this time that Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing recovered and got back up from the ground. Memphis threw another beam of light at Ellie, but she flew up and out of its way. She then surrounded herself in fire and flew directly at Memphis. Lena hurled a lance of ice at him; Wing threw a knife of wind; Senia launched a lightning bolt; and then, Ellie crashed into Memphis shield-first.

There was an explosion, and the chamber was awash with light. When the light died down, Memphis was no longer there. They won! Memphis had been defeated!

Glen smiled, pleased at how well the students had done. Ellie, Lena, Senia, and Wing got together in one big group hug.

- - -

Everyone rode on the back of the Blue Dragon, leaving the Dark Castle and returning to Ien. They set down on the coast, looking back at the Dark Castle still hovering over the sea. The Blue Dragon turned to Glen and handed him something. It was a blue jewel, many times bigger than the one from Meria.

Blue Dragon: Glen, my long sleep has come to an end. I shall return to my duties now. Here, take this. It contains my power within. Using this, Ien can continue to float over the ocean.

The Blue Dragon then turned towards the kids and congratulated them on their valiant efforts, before spreading its wings and flying away.

The Dark Castle was slowly descending into the sea. Everyone watched as it sunk lower and lower, disappearing beneath the waves. Then, from behind, they heard the voice of Dean Steel.

Steel: Teacher! What have you done?Lena: Teacher?

Dean Steel ran up to them, followed closely behind by Shiela. The Dean said that Shiela told him everything, that Glen took some students from the school into the Dark Castle to fight against the Vile Tribe. Glen didn't deny any of it--rather, he confirmed it, and added that it was those very same students who were responsible for taking down the castle and saving Ien. The Dean didn't have anything to say in response, clearly both impressed and upset.

Lena was still confused: this old man was actually the teacher of the Dean of the Magic School? Glen responded that he must have said something to that effect already--he was the one who scouted out Steel in the first place, after all. This also meant that perhaps Lena should show him a bit more respect.

Lena: Oh, that's right. Sorry about that!-Lena fled-Glen: Wait right there! I'm not finished with you!-Glen chased after Lena-Steel: Teacher, wait! I still have something to tell you!-Steel followed after Glen-Glen: Now then, I'd better set up the Blue Dragon's jewel already

Glen stopped the chase, and before Steel caught up with him, he drew a circle in the ground and said an incantation. Glen disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Ellie saw this and let out a sigh. The rest of the kids laughed.

Soon, using the power of the Blue Dragon Jewel, Ien moved just as it had before. The island kicked up grand waves as it floated over the sea. In the sky, as if nothing had ever happened, the Blue Star shone brightly.

Afterword

"An adult who can do anything" is what I wanted to become. A so-called Superman. But, I hated the effort, and I was just an ordinary, everyday kid. So, I ended up becoming instead "A person who does whatever".

Yuu Sugitani in the afterword gives some background on the novelization. First, the story began with Lunar: Walking School (Samposuru Gakuen) for the Game Gear; based on that, the Sega Saturn game Magical School Lunar! was released this summer (1997). Sugitani worked on the storyline behind Lunar: Walking School, and was let back on board for Magical School Lunar. Also, since March 15th, she's been working on the storyline for the short anime Magical School Lunar! - Secret of the Blue Dragon. Then, courtesy of TBS Radio, Vol. 1 of the audio drama Magical School Lunar! Magical Island will be released. Lastly, this novel here is also being released in the same year. All of this is thanks to the staff at Ehrgeiz.

The backdrop for everything here, the world of Lunar with the Blue Star shining above, is originally the product of Studio Alex. Sugitani confesses that she didn't know much about the world of Lunar at all when she began; all she knew is that she would be writing about a world hundreds of years before the events of Silver Star Story.

[Editor's Note: Dialogue in Lunar: Walking School indicates that the story takes place about 300 years prior to the events of Silver Star Story / The Silver Star.]

A lot of work went into the creation of all this different multimedia related to Magical School Lunar--again, thanks to Ehrgeiz. Sugitani asks fans to feel free to email them with requests or comments at: ehrgeiz-at-violet.plala.or.jp

Lately, what Yuu Sugitani has really wanted to do is to coordinate all different kinds of multimedia--manga, novels, games, audio dramas--to create more and more stories based on the Magical School Lunar world. (She dips into a bit of hyperbole here, talking about billions and billions of copies being sold--it is her dream, after all.)

Back to what she said earlier... "An adult who can do anything" = "A great magician", and that's what the people in the story of Magical School Lunar are trying to become. Unfortunately, there were many other people Sugitani wanted to include in the novel: Blade, Azu, the other professors--she really wanted to write some of the lovey-dovey dialogue between Azu and Senia. But, there was no way to fit all of it in.

Yuu Sugitani finishes the afterword with thanks and gratitude for a few people: Studio Alex for allowing her to work on a chapter of the Lunar world, the staff at Ehrgeiz for their support in writing this novel, Isamu Imakake for the illustrations and cover art, and finally, all of you who are reading this right now.